"The taboo subject of wages must be broken".

Actress Susanne Kunz and musician Andres Andrekson, aka Stress, discussed the topic of "Pay gap - why money makes the difference" at PostFinance's first RealTalk on Thursday, January 26, 2023 in Zurich.

The taboo subject of wages was the topic of the first Postfinance RealTalk with Susanne Kunz and rapper Stress, chaired by Viola Tami (far right). (Image: Postfinance)

To advance topics around the successful interaction of the genders, PostFinance launched a new event series on January 26, 2023. "With the RealTalk series, we want to stimulate a discussion so that genders are equally heard, seen, respected and valued," says Bernadette Koch, member of the Board of Directors of PostFinance, explaining the launch of the new event series. This is in line with the values and corporate goals of PostFinance, which promotes diversity in all facets and with a focus on gender equality. At the events, which will take place three times a year in different parts of the country, exciting personalities will give an insight into how they live teamwork in their private lives and in their work, what the challenges are and what significance money has for achieving gender equality.

The courage to demand money for experience and skills

The event kicked off with a discussion on the taboo topic of wages. "It still happens that women systematically and across the board earn less than men," said actress Susanne Kunz last Thursday evening at the first "RealTalk" on the topic "Wage gap - why money makes the difference". She speaks from her own experience and of wage differences in show business of up to 50 percent. "The taboo subject of wages must be broken," she emphasizes. Her recipe is open discussion among teammates and the courage to demand money for one's experience and skills. "We need to talk about our wages within projects and negotiate better."

In the band of stress a woman receives the highest salary

Her podium partner Andres Andrekson, aka Stress, also has zero understanding of wage inequality. As the employer of his band, it's clear to him: "It's not about whether it's a woman or a man. It's about me filling the jobs with the best." In his band, which counts 5 musicians with him, for example, one of the two women receives the highest salary. Even though he himself cannot identify any wage differences between women and men in his environment, he considers it important that wage inequality is addressed - as well as the division of roles between women and men. "Switzerland is a very rich country, but very conservative. That amazes me."

Things are moving too little fast

Openly and honestly, the two talk guests at Labor5 in Zurich, moderated by Viola Tami, exchanged their experiences with wages and wage differences in show business. What they all agree on is the fact that too little progress is being made quickly on the issue of equal rights and equal pay. According to the 2020 Swiss wage structure survey, the wage gap between men and women in Switzerland is 13.8 percent.

Close last gaps

PostFinance is also committed to fair wages and therefore regularly reviews wage equality. Even if the current equal pay analysis based on salary data from October 2020 shows that the inexplicable pay gap between men and women at PostFinance is rather small at only 2.3 percent to the detriment of women, PostFinance wants to close the gap further with targeted measures. Because as Ron Schneider, Head of Human Resources at PostFinance writes in his assessment of the analysis: "Every unexplained wage percentage is one too many."

The next RealTalk dates:
Lausanne, June 15, 2023, Topic: Wage gap - why money makes the difference (in French)
Bern, October 26, 2023: Topic: Housewives and househusbands: provision, earnings and prejudices.

Source: Postfinance

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